I very seldom start discussions. Just not my style.

But many of you predicted that those who
were forced to leave DU for refusing to conform to DU rules after the 16 primaries would be back in different a guises prior to the 18 primaries. Well, you were correct.

And they are attempting to use the same argument that worked so well for them in 16.

To speak about Diversity with a Southern Accent warmed my heart.

Perhaps LBJ was just a couple of generations off and we Southerners will return to the party of the people. A person can hope.

A couple of time a week I get together with 3-5 other guys to drink different beers. How we met is an interesting anecdote but not relevant. I find the group attractive because we are from very different walks of life...a professional manager(me), a heavy equipment mechanic, a retired computer guy, a chronically underemployed guy who cannot wait till he can get on Medicare, one who sells brewery components. You get the idea.

And we never talk politics. Just beer and bullshit.

Last Friday, 3 of us were talking and the guy waiting for Medicare(he is 62) commented that his health care is from the ACA(he called it Obamacare) and that he is worried he may lose it. I kept my mouth shut but he computer guy asked if he voted for Trump to which he said no, he did not vote because both parties are the same. I that point I asked him why he did not vote for the Democratic Party if he was dependent on the ACA. And here it came...because Democrats are too Liberal.

At that point the beers got to me and I asked him what program the Democratic Party supported that was too liberal. I mentioned the ACA, Medicare, Social Security, Marriage equality, Abortion rights, Civil rights, etc. He agreed with all of them. He then said that he has been hearing for years how liberal the Democrats were but he had never really thought about it. He admitted that maybe he should be a democrat.

But that was not the best part of the conversation! The computer guy, who is from Canada commented that he was a huge Trump fan and he and his wife had voted for him even thought their grown kids about disowned them. I was floored. After all, he is from Canada!

What he said next is why I am writing this. He said it was the worse vote he has ever made and that Trump and the Republican are truly crazy and we will be luck not to get into a war. And that he could not wait until he can undo that vote. He is a buddy so I did not shoot back that he cannot undo the vote because that would have been rude. But I thought it.

I know this is a long post, and I very seldom do OPs, but I found this conversation very encouraging. We always say that the Trumpers will not change and I agree most will not. But some are. And we do not need them all.

Have a great evening

So when the ACA passed I was a republican. But the behavior of the republicans since then and the grace of President Obama, plus the pull of family history made me return to the party of my roots with the zeal of a convert.

Remember that Teddy told President Obama to sign any bill put before him because once Americans knew they would have health care, no matter how imperfect, they would reject anything else.

I am 50 years old. I now fully expect that before I die(assuming I get to live to my actuarially predicted age) I will see health care for all like they give themselves in Europe.

And even if it takes 20 more year and I am gone, I sure as shit hope that Americans, and especially Democrats remember to thank not only President Obama but Senator Kennedy.

So the question of the hour/day/week is how did the Times get the email. Because the only reason Don Con Jr. was 'transparent' was the fact that the Times was about to publish.

Speculation is focused on one of the Trump lackeys being the leaker, and that is most likely correct. But there is one possibility I have not yet heard, or read.

What if it was Russia?

After all, it seems they have Trump by the short hairs but have received nothing for it and it looks like they will not. These guys play hard ball...like people end up dead hardball. Not even they are willing to assassinate someone close to Trump, but what better way to make Trump take desperate actions like lifting sanctions than a shot across the bow that results in his name sake being forever shamed and potentially imprisoned? Because doing so make it clear that they are serious and Trump is next.

It will be interesting to see how Trump responds in the next few days vis-à-vis actions concerning Russia? Wanna bet they get their spy palaces in DC back?

Have a nice evening.

I have been asked to serve on a lot of juries lately and have actually voted for more hides than I am accustomed to. Ironically, many of the hides are a result of a comment that is really not related to the conversation, but a gratuitous insult that clearly violates the TOS, at least in my mind.

If I were to start a thread stating this, would I be in violation of the TOS. I am thinking I would be, and if you choose to not respond I will assume I am correct and will not consider starting a thread.

And again, thank you for all you do.

Just dipped into the shit at Freeperville. They are more apoplectic than we are.

Some even calling for impeachment and others swearing he will never have their vote again. Seems he may have miscalculated.

And ventured to Freeperland for the first time since the election.

I now have a smile on my face. Their heads are collectively exploding. And boy do they hate Ryan with the intensity of the burning sun.

I just hope the reports are true and the plan has crashed and burned.

now excuse me while I go shower

This afternoon I was in our local hang out/small tavern with a few of our beer club guys. It is really an establishment owned by someone who loves drinking and serving beers. There are always over 200 different ones there. The regular beer club guys are apolitical as a group, and I am sure some of the guys may vote for Trump, but they do not talk about it. Plus we are a racially diverse group which I am sure keeps the hardcore Alt-right(racist) away.

An older man and his wife came in and we welcomed them like we do all strangers-very friendly. The owner was busy in the back so we helped him pick out his beer from the cooler. No Bud, Miller or anything like that here. He settled on a very good German beer while his wife had a wine. This is a very small place, one employee on a slow Sunday afternoon-the owner.

They ended up ordering some food and had another couple of beers, joining in our conversation on and off. By this time there were only about 5 of us left and he asked a question...Does anyone here know anything about guns? There was a brief silence and I told him I was a hunter and owned several guns, what can I help him with? He wanted a small pocket .380 and was wondering where the best place to get one was. I let him know I owned a handgun and told him where I purchased it. And I asked him why did he want one?

And here it came...he wanted to get one before Hillary bans them. And the statement sat on the room like a fart. But taking the advice I have read hear, I did not attack. I hurrmphed and asked him if he had heard that Obama was going to take his guns. He answered yes. And I stated that Obama had better get busy because he only has 3 months left. The guy actually chuckled. And then I informed him that the second amendment is respected in the Democratic Party Platform and Democratic Party(I actually said Democrats, but we have language purist here!). And that we are in favor of smart gun laws.

At this point one my buddies chimed in much to my surprise. He is the most blue collar of the bunch said he would not mind limiting AR-15's and such, which really did surprise me. Realize we are in the Orlando Metro area and the Pulse event really shook us. But I was still surprised as I do know he owns guns. But we had not talked politics and I do not know how he votes. We share a love for good food and beer.

So the guy out and asked me who I was voting for. Normally I would dodge that question in a bar, but the conversation had gone well so far and I told him that I had been a conservative republican most of my life but had come to realize it was all bullshit(the word I used) and I am now a Democrat and my vote was going to Hillary.

At that point his wife screwed her courage to the sticking point and exclaimed 'I am too'. The guy was surprised, he actually said 'you are?'. After a little more back and forth the guy stated 'Trump really is kind of scary, I don't know'. And the conversation then changed away from politics.

He and his wife stayed almost 2 hours and he shook all our hands on the way out and told us how much he enjoyed meeting us and asked if he could join us next week. You know the answer. Unless he votes early I may have another shot, although I think it may be a done deal. The best part of the day was his wife speaking up!

I am still smiling about it.

Oh, and early voting starts tomorrow in Florida. By this time tomorrow night Hillary will have my vote. Unless there are too many members of the Democratic Party in line in which case I will try another time.

Have a nice evening.